Youth Allowance Rate Increases for 2024 and Where You Can Apply

Centrelink’s support payment rates for a range of services were increased as of March 20, 2024, meaning that folks relying on structures like Youth Allowance would be receiving a bit of a boost. If you’re one of those people, or you’re looking into whether Youth Allowance might be right for your circumstances, we’re here to offer a guide to the support payment and who it is designed for.

Applying for Centrelink Youth Allowance: Eligibility

So, what exactly is Centrelink’s Youth Allowance? In a nutshell, it’s a support payment designed to offer a little financial assistance to Aussies who, per Services Australia, are “24 or younger and a student or Australian Apprentice, or 21 or younger and looking for work”.

The service is available to those who are:

• 16 to 21 and looking for full time work
• 18 to 24 and studying full time
• 16 to 24 and doing a full time Australian Apprenticeship
• 16 to 17 and independent or needing to live away from home to study
• 16 to 17, studying full time and have completed year 12 or equivalent

Youth Allowance job seeker

There are two branches of the Youth Allowance support payment, so it’s important to understand which group fits your circumstances best. The Youth Allowance for job seekers offers payments for people who are aged 16 to 21 and are:

• looking for full time work
• studying part time and looking for work
• temporarily unable to work or study.

Youth Allowance for students and Australian apprentices

For people who are aged 24 and younger and undertaking study or fulfilling an apprenticeship, the eligibility requirements for Centrelink are that you’re:

• 18 to 24 and studying full time
• 16 to 17, studying full time and either independent or needing to live away from home to study
• 16 to 17, studying full time and have completed year 12 or equivalent
• 16 to 24 and doing a full time Australian Apprenticeship.

How to claim support

If you are eligible for Youth Allowance, you can follow the steps to claiming support via the Services Australia website here for students and apprentices and here for those looking for work.

You’ll be asked a selection of questions about your situation and directed to your MyGov account to make your claim.

It’s worth noting that students seeking Youth Allowance can do so up to 13 weeks before starting full time study or an Australian Apprenticeship.

Youth Allowance rates

As we mentioned above, certain Centrelink payments were increased on March 20, due to indexation (this will happen again on September 20). The Youth Allowance payment rates for job seekers aged 21 and under are now:

• Single, no children, Under 18, living at home – $395.30
• Single, no children, Under 18, living away from home – $639.00
• Single, 18 or over, living away from home – $639
• Single, 18 or over, living at home – $455.20
• Single with children – $806
• Partnered, no children – $639
• Partnered, with children – $691.80

Youth Allowance payments for students 24 and under are as follows (these rates were updated on January 1):

• Single, no children, younger than 18, and live at your parent’s home – $395.30
• Single, no children, younger than 18, living away from your parent’s home to study, train or look for work – $639.00
• Single, no children, 18 or older and live at your parent’s home – $455.20
• Single, no children, 18 or older and need to live away from your parent’s home – $639.00
• Single, with children – $806.00
• Principal carer of a dependent child granted an exemption from mutual obligation requirements for foster caring, non-parent relative caring under a court order, home schooling, distance education or large family – $987.70
• A couple, with no children – $639.00
• A couple, with children – $691.80

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